9.30.2008

The Most Incredible Love Story Ever Written - OR Never Written!

Wow... What a trip!

Took a day and went to a training conference in Modesto, California yesterday.

This jam-packed, no-seats-available, Sunday evening flight to Oakland was not something to look forward to. I wound up finding my seat next to 2 sisters - and the conversation that ensued was one for the ages.

Lemme give a shout out first to Elenore "Ellie" the Barbara Streisand lookalike, and her sister Lisa... a beaming romantic still in love with her High School boyfriend.

We started with some banter about the books we were reading, and it went from there... HANG WITH ME, because I can't tie this to greatness for a minute.

The two were obviously sisters. They had a similar happy smile (In fact they told me, "we have the same smile"). Each had a different father, and had been in Salt Lake City visiting their mother. A sense of kinship and connectedness between the two and their mother (now married for the 3rd time), and a quiet tone of acceptance was pervasive throughout our 2-hour flight.

On the surface, the 2 sisters were friendly and sweet. None eluded to a life's accomplishment worthy of boasting. Both are mothers of 2 or more children, as was their Mom. Both work. Both love their children dearly. As our exchange meandered from family, to kids, to marriage, to background, I was privileged to hear more in-depth information about their stories.

The story of first sister's father... and being raised primarily by her mothers next husband - and father to the second sister. The story of the second father, and his abrupt departure from the United States to live in Thailand (or somewhere) when the second sister was still young, and the older sister had moved out of the house. The story of their mother finding love, and moving to Utah (of all places).

Ellie told stories of her life, and her 3 children. The story of an incredible adventure with a past boyfriend - how they met on an airplane, and later how they flew to Hawaii, hitchhiked to a remote trail head, hiked 14 miles, camped in caves, and got a ride home on high seas with drunken fisherman - all with not much more to eat than dry bagels and some canned chili. (She quite literally described scooping the chili from the can with the dry bagels... great story!) She told other stories.

Lisa talked with a smile about her husband of 20 years, who was her high school boyfriend, and her 2 children. She expressed what could be interpreted as a longing to see her family more often, and not seeing family as often as she felt she should. She seemed excited to share (and I was truly in disbelief that she will soon become a grandmother to her oldest daughters first child.

It was nice to get a chance to express my own affections for my wife and children and share a few personal tidbits as well.

These stories that came out in our conversation seemed like stories that need to be written. They were GREAT STORIES to me... because for these two women and their mother, they are the most important stories that will ever be told. But the most important part now, reflecting on the stories - were the love stories.

I have spent a day contemplating what was the most important part of their story, and realized it was the love story they were each writing...

As I reflected, I thought about the movie THE NOTEBOOK. When you watch the story portrayed in "The Notebook" it seems so incredible on the silver screen... but I submit that it is a common story. So common in fact that it is almost not newsworthy. It is a story about a boy who falls in love with a girl, and never gives up on that love he feels for her.

What is incredible about "The Notebook" is that it is a story that is TOLD.

In just a couple of hours, we as an audience are allowed to see the stories highs and lows, observe the depth of the struggles and triumphs, feel the power of the resolve to stay together, and watch the couple grow old.

Every couple struggles through real life. We all feel the moments of passion, anger, defeat, and loneliness... we just don't have the benefit of being able to watch the outcome in 2 hours.

This is what makes MY love story The Most Incredible Love Story Ever NOT WRITTEN.

I know the depths of sorrow I have felt, and caused my wife to feel. I know how incredible it is to see her laugh & smile, and how bad it feels when we go a week or two without connecting at all. She has (not me) been the most loyal, forgiving and committed wife ever. I know how much fun it has been, and all of the work it has required just to get to where we are - and our story is just in the first couple of chapters!

Can we be honest with each other for a moment?

I am not a great author when it comes to writing. You and I both know it.

But my quest is not to "be a guy who can write good and stuff", but to AUTHOR a life that is worthy of being written about.

The GREATEST achievement I could accomplish, would be in 20 more years to have my wife feel about me as Lisa & Ellie seemed to about their husbands.

Now who knows - maybe their love story is over, and I am just imagining something here... I hope not.

My parents have a love story that has been more than 33 years in the writing, and I assure you that it would not fail to entertain if condensed into a movie. More importantly, I believe that for each of my six brothers and two sisters and I, the love story will prove to be NEXT TO OUR OWN, one of the most incredible love stories ever written... and maybe someday one of us will decide to write it.

Seen in the proper perspective, perhaps there is NO GREATER ACCOMPLISHMENT than becoming the successful author of our own life's love story?

Here's to hoping that you & I live to see OUR LOVE STORY become the Greatest, Most Incredible Love Story Ever Written - Or Not Written.

1 comment:

  1. Hey There...
    Good luck in your love story...remember to always listen to her ~ even though you think she may be "nagging" listen and learn, it all means something. And that something learned will make her happy...;}

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